The present disclosure relates to a fixing device and an image forming apparatus.
An electrophotographic type image forming apparatus is provided with a fixing device which fixes a toner on a medium.
The fixing device is sometimes provided with a reciprocation mechanism (a moving means) to move a heating unit (a heating belt) and a control part to control the reciprocation mechanism. The reciprocation mechanism includes a cam having a pair of inclined faces, a shaft engaged with the inclined face and a motor moving the cam with respect to the shaft. The control part executes an operation to drive the motor for a predetermined period every time when a predetermined number of sheet is passed through a nip and to move the heating unit within a region where a movement direction of the heating unit is changed. The control part repeats the operation intermittently. The above control makes it possible to reduce abrasion (damage) of the surface of the heating belt through which edges of the sheet are passed.
However, the above fixing device requires the motor moving the cam with respect to the shaft and the control part to control the motor. A structure of the reciprocation mechanism is complicated and a manufacturing cost is increased.